We provide local partners grants for their anti-poverty programs and work with them to build alliances, networks, and effective organizations that will eventually be self-sufficient. Most important, we work with our partners to learn; what they teach us about the best solutions to poverty is just as valuable as the funding and collaboration we provide them.

4: We believe that fighting poverty is about fighting injustice.

Poverty often arises from the violation of people’s basic rights. When someone is denied the right to own land, the right to education, access to basic services like clean water, a fair price for the crops they grow, or a fair wage for the work they do, the result is poverty.

7: We help people learn about their basic rights and how to defend them.

By educating people about their rights, we help to build strong communities that compel governments and other institutions to deliver on their responsibilities. When citizens hold their governments accountable, they can change the systems that keep people trapped in poverty.

8: We are a member of the international confederation Oxfam.

We are an international confederation of 17 like-minded organizations that collaborate on global campaigns and major humanitarian interventions. We work with 3,000 local partners in more than 90 countries and devote more than $1.1 billion annually to fighting poverty.

9: Laws, policies, and institutions have an enormous impact on poverty.

Yet, poor people are not consulted about major issues like international trade law, climate change talks, or how wealthy countries administer foreign aid programs that are supposed to help them. We work to help people directly affected by laws and policies to have a voice in their formulation. And we wage campaigns to convince decision makers to respect the views of poor communities.

10: You can join the effort. Everyone—including you—has a part to play in the fight against poverty and injustice.

With the power of many voices speaking together, we can call on companies and legislators to change the laws and practices that keep people in poverty. We can also raise awareness and inspire action on some of the world’s most urgent issues. We can’t do this alone. Please join our eCommunity; we need your voice and your support. No matter who you are, or how busy you are, you can make a difference.

Written by Chris Hufstader

This Article Was Written By

OxFam America

Oxfam America is a global organization working to right the wrongs of poverty, hunger, and injustice. We save lives, develop long-term solutions to poverty, and campaign for social change. As one of 17 members of the international Oxfam confederation, we work with people in more than 90 countries to create lasting solutions.